Douluo: My Clone Is Groudon

Chapter 196: The Trial (II)



The biting cold wind whipped up particles of fine snow, emitting a sharp whistling sound across the silver-white wasteland. Twelve towering ice wolves, resembling crystal sculptures, encircled the five-person team at the base of a circular icy cliff. The frosty mist exhaled by the wolf pack refracted an eerie blue glow under the moonlight.

The ice wolves stood two meters tall, their fur shimmering like crystalline snowflakes. Frosty breath billowed from their mouths, and their blue eyes were filled with a cold-blooded lust for slaughter. The largest among them had three thousand years of cultivation.

"This… this isn't reasonable!"

Xu Xiaoyan took half a step back, her boot crushing frozen twigs beneath her feet as she pressed closer to the frigid rock wall.

"They're not letting us retreat! To fight a pack of thousand-year-old ice wolves? If it were anyone else, they'd definitely be eliminated!"

Xie Xie drew his dual light-and-dark daggers in one fluid motion, his soul power flickering at the tips of the blades. "Looks like the examiners have high hopes for us—they've added some difficulty."

Though his words were lighthearted, his figure suddenly split into three afterimages. The ghostly steps reflected on the ice surface moved even faster than his actual body.

After over a year of carrying out missions for the Tang Sect, he was no longer the same person he once was!

Tang Wulin's expression was serious as he whispered, "Though this is a group trial, individual performance still matters. Try to showcase your full strength."

The moment the Blue Silver vines erupted through the ice, golden scales had already covered Tang Wulin's right forearm. "Free attack! Xiaoyan, control the battlefield!"

The Blue Silver Spike Array surged forward like venomous snakes, thick vines wrapping around the hind legs of six ice wolves, their paralyzing thorns piercing deep. The trapped giant wolves howled, exhaling blasts of icy breath that shattered mere inches from the boy's face, intercepted by the force of his Golden Dragon Claw.

Xu Xiaoyan steadied her mind, muttering softly to herself: 'You can do this, Xiaoyan.' Suddenly, the tip of her ice staff erupted with starlight, simulating a nocturnal environment that became her optimal stage.

Seven chains of starlight shot through the air, pinning themselves into the ice and sealing off the ice wolves' path forward. When the first ice wolf broke free of the vines and lunged at her, the girl swung her staff, activating her soul ring. A torrent of icicles rained down, filling the beast's gaping maw.

"Xie Xie!"

Even faster than Tang Wulin's shout, two dragon-shaped soul powers streaked past.

As the Light Dragon Dagger pierced the throat of the ice wolf, the Shadow Dragon Dagger had already penetrated its brainstem. By the time Xie Xie spun and retreated, the wolf's decapitated body remained frozen mid-pounce, its icy blood freezing in midair into crimson ice crystals before hitting the ground.

One strike, a guaranteed kill. Xie Xie immediately discarded his daggers and retreated, reconsolidating his martial soul. Though this method consumed more soul power, it ensured safety with a single decisive blow.

The Wolf King let out a thunderous roar, shaking loose an icicle from the cliff above. A blue crystal formed on its forehead, spreading across its body like a suit of crystalline armor.

Tang Wulin leapt into the air, his golden-scaled right arm colliding head-on with the Wolf King's sharp claws. Taking advantage of the moment, the Blue Silver Grass wrapped around the Wolf King's forelimbs. The boy flipped mid-air and landed on the wolf's neck, driving his Golden Dragon Claw into its temple. Dark golden ripples exploded from the cracks in its skull, shattering the beast's head like an ice sculpture collapsing to the ground.

Gu Yue's silvery hair swayed without any wind, four elemental tides forming an energy vortex around her. Crimson flames intertwined with icy chains, while wind blades erupted from the earth, accompanied by spikes of stone. The chaotic elemental storm tore five ice wolves into a flurry of icy shards.

As the remaining six wolves charged forward over the corpses of their kin, Gu La decided it was time to act. "Let me handle the rest," he said.

With the flash of a ten-thousand-year soul ring as cover, a five-thousand-year-old Killer Willow appeared on the ice. Within it resided one of Gu La's clones. Without needing commands, the moment it materialized, a storm of razor-sharp willow leaves erupted across the battlefield.

The serrated willow blades formed a deadly tornado. The instant the wolf pack charged into the storm, ten thousand willow leaves swept through like meat grinder blades. Their cutting intent penetrated deep, splattering icy fur mixed with flesh and blood across the ice walls, painting an abstract masterpiece of carnage.

As the snowstorm gradually subsided, Tang Wulin wiped away the mixture of ice and blood from his face. He opened his mouth to tell Gu La not to be too brutal, but the moment he did, the bloody slush flew into his mouth. Though he knew it was a virtual simulation, it still made him feel nauseous.

"Second trial passed. Tang Wulin demonstrated proper command, calmness, and decisiveness—ten points."

"Xu Xiaoyan controlled the timing appropriately, showing bravery despite fear—seven points."

"Xie Xie took the initiative with a decisive killing blow—eight points."

"Gu Yue displayed flawless four-element control, effortlessly repelling the wolf pack with minimal soul power expenditure, and her clothes didn't even get stained—ten points."

"Gu La… wielding a ten-thousand-year soul spirit, exceptional strength—ten points."

The mechanical voice paused briefly, then awarded Gu La full marks.

Although Gu La hadn't acted immediately, which should have cost him a point, the evaluators considered that if he had intervened earlier, his teammates wouldn't have had a chance to act. Thus, they gave him full points.

Shrek Academy was especially lenient toward true geniuses, and Gu La undoubtedly qualified.

"Please proceed to the third trial."

The mechanical voice echoed through the vast hall. Tang Wulin gazed thoughtfully at the dark corridor ahead. His well-defined fingers clenched slightly, golden scales faintly visible beneath his sleeve. "May I ask, what score is needed to pass?"

The response came slightly delayed, as if someone was deliberating in secret. When the cold, metallic voice spoke again, it carried a faint grinding noise: "There are ten trials in total. Sixty points are required to pass."

"Thank you."

Tang Wulin bowed respectfully. As he turned, he gave Xie Xie a meaningful glance, prompting the latter to immediately drop his carefree demeanor and retract his martial soul.

Xu Xiaoyan bit her lower lip, walking at the back of the group. She had scored the lowest, and they even called her timid. Hadn't she shown enough courage?

Puffing up her cheeks, Xu Xiaoyan silently vowed to prove herself in the subsequent trials.

Xie Xie, having scored eight points, was brimming with confidence: "This trial wasn't that hard. Anyone with hands could've done it."

"Don't get cocky. The later trials will definitely be harder."

Tang Wulin quickly tempered Xie Xie's swelling ego. After years of companionship, he'd seen Xie Xie inflate himself only to be knocked down countless times—but the latter always seemed to enjoy it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Gu Yue approached Gu La silently, her moon-white pant legs brushing against the blue bricks of the floor.

"Nothing."

Gu La glanced at Gu Yue and transmitted a message: "Someone's watching us from the shadows. If an old woman causes trouble later, I'll handle it."

Without asking why, Gu Yue simply nodded. "Mm."

The scene for the third trial opened abruptly—a hundred-meter-long corridor filled with crisscrossing guillotine blades, their edges glowing with a sinister green venom.

Xie Xie sucked in a breath. Those guillotines were incredibly sharp, forged from at least thousand-refinement metal and coated with poison. "Isn't this excessive? So brutal!"

No one paid him any mind. Xie Xie was used to it.

Each member showcased their abilities. Xie Xie employed his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps, creating afterimages as he dodged the guillotines and crossed the corridor. Xu Xiaoyan used her soul skill to freeze the guillotine mechanisms before walking through.

Tang Wulin's approach was the most violent. His Golden Dragon Claw tore through three intersecting slashes, sparks erupting like rain on the dark iron surface. As the blades neared his golden scales, he suddenly grabbed one guillotine and yanked it backward. The entire chain mechanism groaned under the strain, causing over twenty poisoned blades to veer off course simultaneously.

Gu La and Gu Yue were the most straightforward—they simply teleported to the end of the corridor.

In the monitoring room, the shadowy observer slowly rose to their feet. The patterns on their golden robe shifted with their movements. "They don't follow conventional paths. This batch of students is truly fascinating."

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